Ever have beautiful vegetables that won’t mesh with your menu but need to be eaten before they go bad? I’m thinking of mushrooms, cauliflower, carrots, peppers and, yes, asparagus. Rather than curse yourself for an impulse buy, consider preserving them in a vinaigrette to eat later in a salad or as a side.

Asparagus Vinaigrette

1 lb asparagus with ends trimmed

Vinaigrette

¼ cup olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon, or 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp mustard powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Steam vegetables for 10 minutes, so that they’re cooked enough for the flavor to come out but still crisp. Mix dressing in a medium bowl, add the veg, toss and place in a container for the fridge. Extra liquid should go in the container too. If you’re not going to eat this the next day, give the storage vessel a light shake every now and then so that the contents don’t dry out. You can use any commercial dressing for this so long as it’s an oil base.

A quick word about steaming… put a splash of lemon juice in the water & sprinkle kosher salt on the veg after it’s placed on the steaming surface. This way it will work it’s way into the veg from the cooking heat and result in a richer flavor. If you’re steaming veg for a hot meal, sliver some butter over the veg as well. This simple trick packs a wallop of flavor.